City leaders said the retail giant will be good for growth and bring in needed tax revenue, but opponents counter that the location on Highway 51 is just minutes from the Walmart in Hammond.

WDSU reporter Gina Swanson looked into the controversy that has neighbors choosing sides.

Stephen Pearce was unloading his groceries from a local market when he told Smith he remains uneasy about plans for a Walmart near his home.

"We don't like it at all," he said. "(We're) not excited about it. Hopefully, enough people will stand up and keep them from coming in."

These same concerns have played out in many small towns when the world's largest retailer plans to set up shop. Pearce said he is not against Walmart, just having a store so close to his home, especially with another store nearby.

"From where we stand here, our closest one is 11 minutes away," said Pearce. "It's not an overcrowded store. I enjoy Walmart and their services, but I don't want it in our back yard."

Pearce's home backs up to the 21 acres Walmart plans to build its store on along the commercial corridor of Ponchatoula. The mayor said there have been more than a half dozen revisions made to the site plan to ensure neighbors' worries about the store are addressed.

"We have moved the site up to about 137 feet from the property line," Mayor Bob Zabbia said. "As late as Friday, we revised it again to give more protection and more coverage to the residents."

Zabbia said the addition of Walmart means big bucks for the local economy, with sales projected at $40 million to $70 million a year, which would result in anywhere from $800,000 to $1.5 million in tax revenue.

Neighbors have also expressed concerns about the effect on local businesses, the added noise of a 24-hour store and increased traffic along Highway 51. Even though Zabbia has worked to remedy those concerns, he understands that change never comes easily.

"We'll never be able to please everyone," he said.

Ponchatoula leaders said the store would bring 250 to 300 new jobs to the community. Walmart's purchase of the property is pending a zoning change needed for the project to move forward.

The Ponchatoula City Council is expected to vote on the zoning change at next Monday's meeting.